MOSCOW, April 3 (AVN) - The Svyaz-Inform 2000 international exhibition will open in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on Tuesday, Nikolai Pozhitkov, deputy chairman of the State Telecommunications Committee, told the Military News Agency.
The exhibition will feature the latest developments of over 80 Russian telecommunications producers, Pozhitkov said. Its programme also includes a conference on production and use of domestic means of communication.
In addition to that , the show will be attended by over 300 specialists of state management bodies, heads of regional administrations, scientists, bankers, and businessmen.
According to Pozhitkov, the communications market in Russia is occupied by large foreign companies. Over 80 percent of communication equipment used in Russia is made abroad. Domestic producers have recently managed to catch up with leading foreign companies by using foreign equipment and technology. Now they are "to fight back the domestic market," Pozhitkov said.
Some positive tendencies have already emerged. In 1998, Russia bough foreign communication equipment for USD500m, while in 2000, the volume of purchases is not expected to exceed USD12m. However Russian producers of communication means are still suppressed by foreign companies that have more benefits.